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Interspecies Reviewers

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Interspecies Reviewers

By Christopher Kinsey

Someone on the staff had to take this bullet. With all the controversy and hype this series had, and it’s eventual cancellation on Funimation streaming, how could we not review this in some form? Ever since Funimation became A-Number 1 Duke of Weeb-York they are the source for jiggly shows and ecchi stuff. Well, provided the voice cast reminds us all that the patriarchy is to blame for this stuff.

Aw Yiss, that one thing no other anime has.

So let’s get into it. This is a series from an animation house called “Passione” which has mostly done adaptations of light novels, but came onto the radar in the west when they headed up the popular lesbian romance story “Citrus” and the last season of “High School DxD Hero”. Directed by Yuki Ogawa who’s previous work was single episodes of “FLCL Progressive”, and a fetish fueled slice of life high school girls anime called “Miru Tights”, amongst other things. It seems they got the right man for the job. Being a joke-filled sex comedy anime the animation is fueled by exaggerated faces, scenes and lots of bouncing breasts. The voice acting is also what you expect from what one could consider just shy of a hentai… I say this because the entire thing rests on the Kadokawa entertainment conglomerate which also produced the original manga which has had a history of quality titles and… well… they’re so large they can really do anything they want.

Says here we’ve been replaced with something called “I Can’t Believe My Sister Dresses This Sexy For The Demon Lord But Not Me!?!”

If it seems like I’m putting off talking about the anime itself, you’re right. I’ve seen some stuff, you know? Had fast internet since there was fast internet, you know? Seen some stuff. But I’ve also learned a lot, about anime distribution, the production process and what have you. I remember a time when you actually had to be like, several episodes finished in production before you could consider publishing it in the west. Heck, most of the time they waited for the whole thing not just for ease of DVD distribution, but because you’d have to keep the public’s interest in the title. But this immediate simulcast idea has certainly made this a real big screw up and for once, just this once I’m going to say this.

Funimation was right to do what it did.

Alone on a Friday night? God, you’re pathetic.

I’ll explain. The series itself is all about a pair of powerful adventurers in a high fantasy world. You have the scruffy looking human named Stunk who is a master swordsman and the magic-using elf Zel. Both can take down monsters with ease and along the way spend a fair bit of their gold on what are known as “Succu-girls”, which are primarily prostitutes who, through succubus magical genes, are all perky humanoid monster girls of all sorts. Oh and regular species of prostitutes are lumped in there too, so we’re clear. Well, the intrepid pair find an angel with a broken halo by the name of Crimvael who can’t get back to heaven until their halo is fixed over time. After an argument over which of their favorite prostitutes is the best in bed, Stunk and Zel both decide to start banging every species in the succubus district and beyond then post their personal thoughts and scores on tavern boards. They drag along Crimvael on these escapades, and usually a rotating fourth member to round out the reviews and make it fair. These reviews net them a fair amount of interest, and when other taverns ask for copies the original writers get a cut. Flush with even more money than their adventuring gigs, the trio go forth and continue their quest to try every brothel they see fit.

Every cosplayers reaction when that Onlyfans money hits the PayPal

At first glance, this series could certainly fit the source material. A tongue firmly in cheek series of short stories about these guys getting it on with a different succu-girl and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The sort of things that one creepy dude at the D&D table would come up with and would shut down the conversation with questions like “So… how DO centaurs breed?” But there are some leanings of actual plot. The opening seems to imply some sort of “Final Boss” to be revealed, as does the fact Crimvael’s land-lady fits the big-bad’s features as well. There is also a sub plot about factions running for election in the city and the demon faction wanting some good press, so they ask the Reviewers to head forth to a demon brothel… When they are immediately sidetracked by a large breasted minotaur brothel.

Yeah, up top bro!

This is where the tongue is removed from the cheek and the nervous laughter begins because at this part of the series what I figured would be some jiggle, moaning and lots of perverted pun-filled jokes turned into something else. Ecchi series walk a fine, fine line and “Interspecies” Reviewers fell right off it when the lactation and breast sucking begins. Yeah. Scene after scene looks like there’s going to be zany jokes, and there is, but it seems spliced in each one there is a moment that is pretty much up there with all the hentai tropes you can think of. In the very next episode after the cow-girl detour there is a brothel that specializes in giving you a potion that turns you into the opposite gender. Amidst the jokes and weird personal discoveries of our heroes’ changes the halfling (which remember do not look like Peter Jackson realistic small dudes, but more like cute children) is pretty much mosaic censored drilling that steps right into pure hentai territory. Played for laughs? Certainly. Disturbing in animation and art direction just the same. Digging around in the manga source material this sort of thing is usually downplayed but here it’s front, center, and is pretty much the production team seeing how much it can get away with.

Aw yeah. Wait. Wait… Oh… oh no!

Well for Funimation it was three episodes worth. For Tokyo MX it was four. The premium cable channels still run it late-night in Japan but the damage has been done. The production schedule of anime itself led right into this and it will never see the light of day as long as Funimation is stuck with the distribution rights. If you’re curious I’m sure you can find the series, but just remember at some point you may find something more than you’ve bargained for.